Expanded-metal structure.



PATEN'BD MAY 19, 1903.-

H.E..WH1TE;

. EXPANDED'METAL STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED 1m11.3,19o214 2 SHEETS-snm 1.

)I0 MODEL;

Np. 728,345. TATENTEE MAY 19, 1903-.. v E. E. WHITE. I 1 EXPANDEDMETAL STRUCTURE. n

. APPLTOATIOAN FILED MAE. s, 1902. dro MODEL. f 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITEn STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. WHITE, OF NILES, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE PROOFING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ExPANDED-METAL STRUCTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of VLetters Patent No. 728,345, dated May 19, 1903. Application tiled March 3,1902. Serial No. 96,371. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. WHITE, a resident of Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Expanded-Metal Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to expanded-sheetmetal structures of the general character illustrated, for example, in Letters Patent No. 668,670, granted February 26, 1901, to me for the process of manufacturing the same, such sheet-metal structures being used for laths, screens, grating, and the like. Apparatus for expanding slitted sheets of metal has been fully described and illustrated, for example, in Letters Patent issued to me February 26, 1901, No. 668,669, in which apparatus the proper slitted sheet is gripped or clamped along separated parallel lines between the terminations of the series of slits, and it is then expanded by moving the different pairs of gripping-jaws progressively to greater distances.

The object of my invention is primarily to enable such expanded-sheet-metal structures to be interlocked one with another; and a further object is to keep the edges of the structure rectilinear and stiff, although one of these objects may be carried out without the other.

i My invention consists in an expandedsheet-metal structure embodying means for carrying out the above objects; and it further consists in the structure hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying specification and drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates in plan and section part Iof a properly slitted and bent sheet prior to expanding the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a sheet in position in the jaws after they have been expanded. Fig. 3 is a face View of an expanded sheet. Fig. 4 is an edge view of such a sheet embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is an edgeview of two expanded sheets shownin interlocking position, and Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating two such interlocking sheets arranged against a fiat surface and with the interlocking edges clamped together.

Referring to thev drawings, the sheet a. to

be operated upon is formed and slitted, as illustrated in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that there are alternating slitted and non-slitted portions and there are successive pairs of jaws 11 21, 12 22, 13 23, 14 24, and 15 25, so disposed that when the opposite jaws are brought together the sheet will be clamped in parallel lines along alternate non-slitted portions a: a: :t of Fig. 1, which subsequently form the ribs. By a proper movement of the jaws the sheet is then acted upon to separate the ribs formed between the successive rows of slitsy in the manner fully set forth in my aforesaid Letters Patent, producing a structure of the general character illustrated, for example, as stated in Letters Patent No. 668,670.

Itis often'desirable to fasten one expanded- 'jaws of the machine. The outer pairs of jaws of the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 2, are

preferably provided with cooperating grooves and projections formed in any suitable manner, as shown, blocks orstrips k of steel being connected to the upperjaws of the outer pairs and blocks vor strips j-ofsteel being connected to the lower pairs of jaws, the lower stripsv being provided with grooves or recesses extending along the face of the strip,

while the upper blocks are provided with projections adapted to the grooves or recesses in the lower blocks. The blank a having been inserted between the jaws of the machine', it will be seen that after the jaws have been expanded, as shown in Fig. 2, the, bent p0rtions b of the strip will have conformed to the contour of the meeting edges of the blocks or strips 7c and j, and when the completed expanded-metal structure is removed from the machine it will be provided with lock edges c, which, as shown, are reversely bent, as this is the preferred structure, although other forms of lock edges and other Ways of bending the same may of course be used. As shown in Eig. 5, two or more expanded-metal structures may be intel-locked one with another, two being shown for convenience, the lock edges c being locked one over the other;

'but if the expanded-metal structures are to be used for laihs they may be placed against a surface, as a wall d, and with a blow, as from a hammer, the lock edges may be clamped together, substantially as shown in Fig. 6, thereby forming au interlocking joint.

An expanded metal structure provided with lock edges as described is useful in many and Various Ways; but I am not to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement of lock edges shown nor to the angle of the edges with the remainder of the structure nor to their size nor conformation. These bent edges or lock edges make the structure stiff and strong and are useful for this purpose Where they are not used for locking purposes, and it willfurther be seen that the lock edges need not be on both edges, and a sheet-metal structure might be made with but one lock edge for use under particular circumstances.

Vithout limiting myself to the details of construction shown and described, I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent- An expanded sheet of metal comprising an expanded portion and straight continuous outer edges at opposite sides, said outer edges being bent in opposite directions, one bent portion projecting beyond and forming an angle with the surface of one continuous edge of the sheet, and the other bent portion projecting beyond and forming an angle With the surface of the other continuous edge of the sheet, substantially as set forth.

Signed this 27th day of February, 1902, at Niles, Ohio.

HERBERT E. WHITE. Witnesses:

H J. HAGGERTY, J. P. JONES. 

